Tourism patterns and behaviour in Saudi Arabia with special referdence to the Emirate of Makkah Al-Mukarramah province ; a geographical study

Abstract

This study examines aspects of leisure and holiday activities of the population in western Saudi Arabia. The first part of the study provides information about the physical and cultural environment of the Kingdom which offers much potential for domestic tourism. The western part of the Kingdom with its attractions, easy accessibility, services and, above all, its religious value can be considered the major tourist area of Saudi Arabia. The second and the main part of this study attempts to examine the patterns of vacations taken by tourists from the three main cities of Makkah, Jeddah and AtTaif and the socio-economic factors influencing that tourist behaviour. This is based on a sample of 1800 household heads selected from 18 districts in the three cities, chosen to cover a range of income levels. The level of use of accommodation, transport and tourist information sources is also examined in relation to holiday destinations and socio-economic characteristics of the respondents such as their education and income. Generally, the analysis showed that Jeddah, AtTaif, Asir and Al-Baha are major holiday destinations chosen for their attractions as tourist locations, and Makkah and Al-Madinah for their religious centres. But the popularity of these destinations varied with the sources of respondents and their socio-economic characteristics. In particular the educational level and income of respondents influenced their holiday behaviour. The results also show a general lack of tourist information materials for all destinations. The level of satisfaction with several services related to tourism and travel were, in general, high among the respondents. Some recommendations are made for further studies and for a central tourist body to co-ordinate the future development of the tourist industry.

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